Christchurch Hospital's Intensive Care Unit provides tertiary care for the greater South Island. Intensive Care is provided for a variety of patients, including General Medical, General Surgical, Neurosurgical, Cardiothoracic Surgical and Spinal Injury patients. Intensive Care is provided for paediatric patients, although long term or complex paediatric intensive care patients are transferred to Starship Children’s Hospital Intensive Care Unit in Auckland.
The Department admits approximately 1350 patients a year, including 350 Cardiac Surgical and 150 Paediatric patients. Of the remaining adult admissions, over 90% are emergency medical or surgical admissions from wards, Operating Theatre, Recovery or Emergency Department. The Department also runs a 24/7 Air Retrieval service and a 24/7 combined Nursing and Medical Deteriorating Patient Outreach Team within Christchurch Hospital. The Department offers opportunities to participate in Research, Audit and Quality Improvement Projects.
The Department is staffed by 14 Intensive Care Specialists, 9 Intensive Care Fellows, 28 Registrars including ICU trainees and trainees in Anaesthesia, Emergency Medicine, Physician and Surgical programmes.
The Department runs 4 hours per week of Continuing Education and Quality Assurance, including a Journal Club, Medical Presentation, and Morbidity and Mortality meeting. The Department runs 2 hours of Registrar teaching per week, plus one afternoon per month. In addition, the department offers guidance for CICM primary and fellowship examinations with CICM examiners for both exams working as SMO’s in the department.
For further information:
Dr Toby Bettridge
SMO, ICU
Email: Toby.Bettridge@cdhb.health.nz
